Hansel and Gretel Become ‘Witch Hunters’

I still don’t know how I feel about the new trend of taking a respectable story and throwing a horror element into it. While the original concept might have been appealing, it’s now becoming as bad as remakes and Asian horror craze as everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. Tonight it was revealed that the director of Dead Snow is taking on the tale of “Hansel and Gretel”, only in the film the duo become witch hunters. Don’t get too excited, at least until you see Dead Snow this summer from IFC (yuck).How do you follow the wicked joy of zombie Nazis attacking medical students on a ski vacation?

The Norwegian co-writer/director of the horror comedy “Dead Snow,” a Sundance midnight selection that IFC Films picked up for release in June, is putting together his next cockeyed picture. The ICM-repped Wirkola pitched Gary Sanchez Prods. on the idea of exploring how things played out for the poor siblings 15 years after that whole gingerbread house incident.

Sanchez honchos Adam McKay and Will Ferrell jumped at the idea of bringing a “Shaun of the Dead”/”Evil Dead 2” comedy action vibe to the proceedings.

“The idea is, they’ve grown up and they hunt witches,” McKay said. “It’s a hybrid sort of old-timey feeling, yet there’s pump-action shotguns. Modern technology but in an old style. We heard it and we were just like, ‘That’s a freakin’ franchise! You could make three of those!’ ”

Producer Kevin Messick, who brought the project to the company, will make the film his first produced feature as an official new member of the Sanchez crew.

“Kevin Messick knows how to put together movies as well as how to make them,” McKay said. “He’s one of the best producers I have ever worked with, and the fact that he only asked for $8,000 a year shows his commitment to filmmaking.”